New Plan for Judging Public Schools in Massachusetts Approved

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A new plan has been approved for the way Massachusetts judges the performances of public schools.

According to the Boston Globe, MCAS scores will remain but a new accountability system will create a system of schools that can produce graduates who are ready for college and for employment — regardless of their socioeconomic background or life circumstances.

The Globe reports that state standardized test scores will remain the core feature of the system as will graduation rates for high schools.

The new system will also evaluate a school’s progress in helping students who do not speak English.

State officials will no longer rely on tracking a school's progress in cutting achievement gaps in half between students of different backgrounds over a five-year period, according to the Globe. Instead, the system will measure student performance for specific subgroups based on race, income levels, and other student characteristics.

The US Education Department approved the new plan on Sept. 21. The changes are expected to go into effect fall 2018.